I wanted to scream. To run. To push past Folsom and sprint back to the fireplace and fling a handful of Floo powder into the hearth and disappear back to Hogwarts. But if I ran now, it would be all over. We would be caught, probably expelled from Hogwarts, maybe even killed here. Folsom was full of threats that I knew he might very well make good on, away from the watchful eyes of Dumbledore and his staff.

I had no choice. I had to play along.

"Of course, sir." I said, trying to hide the quaver in my voice.

Folsom narrowed his eyes, his brows drawing together. "Are you feeling well, Regulus?"

"Just tired." I lied, my mind whirling in a million different directions. Was Sirius working on a plan? Maybe if he was quick enough, he could stupefy Folsom and we could run into the kitchen and get out…

No. I thought firmly, we can't cause a scene. We have to play along and get out of this in a way that doesn't seem fishy!

A niggling doubt gnawed at my solution. What good is the plan if Folsom decides to kill you anyway?

Swallowing hard, I nodded once to Folsom. "Kreacher, I would like a turkey sandwich."

"With chips, Master Regulus?" Kreacher croaked. "Kreacher has prepared chili for Master Regulus, but if he wishes-"

"No no." I said quickly, trying to keep up without giving myself away. "That sounds great, Kreacher."

Folsom turned on his heel and plodded slowly down the stairs. Portraits of witches and wizards' eyes followed us down, looking extremely proud.

"This will do." Folsom said, entering the kitchen and sitting at the head of the table. I quickly copied him at the other end.

Folsom raised a thin brow. "Are you allowed to sit at the front of the table, Regulus?"

Heat rose to my cheeks and I quickly moved. "I'm sorry."

"He knows better." Orion Black said proudly, ruffling my hair and taking my seat. Kreacher bustled around the kitchen, carrying a tray of hot rolls and empty bowls waiting to be filled.

"This is a nice surprise, Regulus." Orion said, smiling. "I hardly see you anymore since you've been off at Hogwarts."

"Sorted into Slytherin, too." Folsom said, eyes gleaming. "You've made your family very proud."

"Indeed." Orion agreed. "Your mother never ceases to sing your praises. We are looking forward to having you return home this summer, son."

"And what about Sirius?" I blurted, instantly regretting my words at the looks of shock and then disdain on the faces of the two men.

"He has to come back, I suppose." Orion said, scratching his chin. "Of course, he hasn't made your mother very happy, with all of his Gryffindor paraphernalia littering his bedroom… he must have put a Permanent Sticking Charm on everything, Kreacher can't get anything down."

"Sounds like he's happy where he is." I said, trying to sound casual, but this remark drew even more shocked looks from Folsom and Mr. Black.

"Are you feeling well, son?" Orion asked, looking slightly worried. "You're talking very strange."

"Yes, you are." Folsom said heavily, staring at me without a hint of emotion.

I felt a trickle of sweat slide between my shoulder blades. I swallowed hard against my dry throat. "Well, I mean, he's still a useless git, but he is rather good at Quidditch. He and that Potter. Walking around the school like they own the place. Sickening, really. I guess I'm just happy to be away from it all."

This answer seemed to pacify them. I felt for my ash wand in my pocket slowly, pursing my lips, wondering how long it would take me to create a diversion against the two and escape with Sirius in the fireplace.

Just be patient. I thought desperately. Sirius won't leave me here alone. He'll escape with me, when the time is right.

Kreacher slid bowls of hot chili in front of each of us. It smelled delicious and bubbled quietly.

"Wonderful, Kreacher." Orion said brusquely. He took a spoonful and nodded approval.

"Kreacher." Folsom said after a moment, "I need more drink."

"Of course, Sir." Folsom croaked, pouring a bottle of red wine into Folsom's half-empty glass. He sipped and stared at me again. "Aren't you hungry, Regulus?"

I watched the red liquid settle back into the cup. It was sluggish and sticky-looking. I narrowed my eyes, trying to smell the substance, but I couldn't detect anything but the hearty aroma of beef chili sitting below me.

I picked up a spoon and ate obediently. It was very good, but I could feel my stomach lurching already. I was a vegetarian, and even the thought of eating something with a face…

I felt my insides contract, and I barely managed to swallow my mouthful. I could feel it being tossed around in the sour ocean of my stomach. I willed myself not to vomit.

"Folsom, tell me," Orion purred, "How is my son doing in your classes?"

"We've been over this, Orion," Folsom sighed, "He's doing excellently. He has all the makings of an Auror."

"I heard that the initiation was going perfectly." Orion said happily, eating another spoonful of chili. "But it was interrupted by some Mudblood girl?"

I nearly choked on my second hesitant spoonful. I stared at Mr. Black, appalled at such language.

"Don't draw attention to yourself!" Sirius hissed in my ear, so that I almost jumped. "Remember that you're supposed to be Regulus, not Amber! Just hold it together until I can think of something!"

"Think fast." I muttered quietly, clearing my throat loudly.

"What was that girl's name again?" Orion said, frowning.

"Lily Evans." Folsom replied. "Bright for a Mudblood. Too bright. She and her little friend Miss Amber will need watching, especially that Ravenclaw bitch."

I was so shocked at hearing my name, and then being cussed at, that I could only stare at Folsom, my heartbeat pounding between my ears. I clenched my hands into fists under the table, shaking.

"She's been giving you the run around this year, hasn't she, Mackenzie?" Orion chortled. "Some students are too bright for their own good. Too smart. Getting into trouble, sticking their noses into places they don't belong."

"Back in my day at Hogwarts, they never would have allowed such cheek at teachers." Folsom growled, sipping his wine. "She would have been hanging by her thumbs in the dungeons if the old ways still prevailed."

"You'd know all about the old ways, wouldn't you? Regulus, can you believe that Mackenzie is turning forty-seven years old next year? Amazing!"

But Folsom rolled his eyes. "Age isn't everything, Orion."

Orion smirked. "Easy for you to say. You don't look a day over twenty-five."

"Perhaps that's because I d-"

"Master!" Kreacher croaked, cutting off Folsom. He was bouncing into the room, holding a roll of parchment in his grubby hands. "I have a message! For Master Orion!"

Orion held out his hand, bored, not even looking at Kreacher, who deposited the roll and bowed his way out of the room.

"Do you mind?" Orion asked Folsom, who was moodily sipping his wine again.

"Not at all." Folsom murmured, staring transfixedly out the window, the sunlight reflecting off his glasses. A beam of light spilled down from the window onto the crackling hearth, warm and bright. I longed to move into it, but didn't dare move and attract attention to myself. I needed a diversion.

"Ah," Orion said after a moment, "He's requested a meeting. Tonight. He'd like to know the names of the new recruits."

"Unfortunately," Folsom drawled. "I don't have many new recruits for him. He said that Regulus is too young. He must be sixteen or older in order to be admitted into the closest circle of his followers."

"But Regulus is a brilliant young mind!" Orion protested. "He needs cultivating! And who better to do it than him… His values on blood status, it's perfect. I've never met someone with as much conviction or truth as him."

I almost opened my mouth to ask who 'him' was, but Folsom beat me to it.

"You know the Dark Lord doesn't want children." Folsom sighed. "He says they are too young, and too weak. Yes, even Regulus has much to learn." Folsom said, raising his voice when Orion's jaw dropped defiantly. "Which is precisely why I have been appointed by him to teach at Hogwarts. He needs ears and eyes on the inside. He wants children trained young, but not in his service until they are of age."

"But he was already performing great feats of magic when he was fourteen!" Orion bawled. "He isn't being-"

"Careful, Orion," Folsom hissed. "The dog's here."

My nostrils flared as an odor of sweat, blood, and dirt filled the room, overpowering the heavy aroma of chili. My head spun at the potent mixture. It was fleetingly familiar, like a whiff of strong perfume or a rotting pile of garbage… Where had I smelled it before…?

"I heard," a rasping voice said, "that Kreacher was making beef chili."

I couldn't help it – I snapped my head towards the sound, and gasped.

A huge man in his early twenties stood in the doorway of the kitchen. He was enormous and muscular. It looked like he had never missed a day at the gym, if they'd allowed him inside in the first place. His thick beard couldn't hide his long, pointed yellowing teeth. Thick body hair covered his arms and the top of his head, like a mane. But his eyes were the strangest of all: piercing blue, electric, and not human.

"Fenrir!" Orion exclaimed. "Welcome! Please wipe your feet, er, paws, on the mat and come join us at the table."

Fenrir grunted and kicked the thick layers of mud and grime off of his boots and plodded heavily over to the table. He sat down hard on a chair opposite from me, looking annoyed.

"You've been in the forest too long, Fenrir." Orion said, sounding faintly amused. "You look at though you've never used a chair or table before."

"It's been awhile." Fenrir growled, reaching over for my bowl of chili and tipping it back. He slurped it down in a huge gulp while I watched, feeling my eyes bug out of my head. His animal stench engulfed me, overpowering my resolve to stay calm.

"Keep it together." Sirius hissed beside me. "Just a little longer. I think I've got a plan."

I gave a tiny nod, unable to tear my eyes away from the beastlike man across the table. Kreacher refilled his bowl three times before he finally leaned back, sated.

"Haven't touched a bite, have you?" Fenrir sneered at Folsom, who narrowed his eyes into dark blue slits.

"No fighting in the house, boys," Orion warned, "Walburga will have my head on the wall next if you break another set of her old china."

He gestured to the wall behind me. I uttered another horrified gasp. The shrunken heads of old house elves were mounted on the wall, at least eight of them, all with their eyes closed as if they were merely sleeping.

"Ah, Elladora," Orion said fondly. "She started the whole tradition, you know."

"I didn't come here to hear about your precious family's history." Fenrir growled. "You said you had something important to tell me."

"Mind your manners, Greyback, or I'll have to spank you with a roll of newspaper." Folsom said in a dangerously low voice. Fenrir let out a deep growl.

"Enough!" Orion said suddenly, his voice booming and so sharp that I flinched. His steel-gray eyes were hard as flint. "Enough. It's bad enough that you didn't bother to bathe, Fenrir, and that you decided to drink in my house, Mackenzie. You know Walburga detests the drinking of that in her house."

"I was thirsty." Folsom said loftily.

"I could end that thirst." Fenrir said softly in a rasp. "Permanently…"

Folsom drew back, baring his teeth. I stared at his mouth, at the two clearly defined and pointed canines, just like Fenrir's…

"The point, gents," Orion plowed on, "is that Folsom is having a problem with getting recruits to the Dark Lord. It seems that a few Gryffindors are wandering the corridors at night, and Filch seems to think he is the only staff member qualified to patrol for such a thing."

"Pure idiocy on his part." Folsom breathed venomously.

"So I was hoping," Orion said loudly, "that Regulus could get his Mark early."

Fenrir laughed, a bark-like sound. "Even I haven't received my Mark, Orion. The boy will have to wait. Besides, he looks scared to death as it is with just one Death Eater in the room."

I tried not to, but I looked around furtively for any kind of strange marking on any of the men. And what on Earth did "Death Eater" mean?

"Good Lord," Folsom said softly. "Don't tell me Regulus doesn't know."

"He doesn't." Orion said shortly. "We didn't want to tell him until he was old enough. But things have changed. The Dark Lord is on the move. He is rising to power more quickly than any of us thought possible. Mackenzie, he could overthrow the Ministry within five years; take over the whole Wizarding world in ten! And then those Muggles, those dirty blooded mongrels... then they'll really know their places."

"And we can come out of hiding." Fenrir echoed, picking his teeth with his broken nails. They were so covered in filth and grime that they were each circled in black.

I was frozen, paralyzed. These men… Sirius's father… he was talking like he was a madman… like the Dark Lord, this 'Voldemort', was going to rise to power…

"This can't get out now." Folsom said suddenly. "I thought you'd already taken care of Vincent Backe."

"I did." Orion said casually. "I had Macnair dispose of his body. He'll never be seen or heard from again."

"Do you think it's smart to talk about this in front of the boy?" Fenrir said roughly, gesturing to me with his thumb.

Orion raised a brow. "Of course. Regulus isn't like his brother; he's going to join the right cause. He's old enough to know better than him, and he's old enough to know." Orion fixed me with a steady stare. "Son," he prompted, "isn't it true that the House of Black is one of the oldest, largest and wealthiest wizarding families in the world?"

I coughed hard, my throat was so dry with terror. "Y-yes."

"And isn't it true that we can trace our noble ancestry back to the Middle Ages?"
"Yes…" I said desperately, hoping my answer appeased him.

"Our blood is pure." Orion said proudly. "And we must ensure that we stay that way. Our world must be purified. Yes… those Muggles have pushed wizardkind into hiding since the days of King Arthur and Merlin.

"We must do everything we can to purify the world and restore our world into its former glory. That has always been the goal of the House of Black. And that is why we will always support and stand with the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort."

There was an almost manical gleam in his eyes; I felt as if I'd been thrown into a freezing ocean. Every fiber of my being screamed to get up and run from this madness and hatred, but I was frozen. I knew if I moved, the beastly creature – Fenrir Greyback – or Folsom, or maybe even Orion Black himself would spring into action.

Fenrir Greyback… Why did that sound so familiar? And that smell…

I felt a sudden grip on my arm. It was Sirius, still hidden under the Invisibility Cloak. "Don't move, Harkstone. Don't give yourself away." He whispered.

I almost said why not when Fenrir made a sudden move for Folsom's glass of ruby-red wine. Folsom moved with the speed of lightning and snatched it up of his reach. Fenrir bared his vicious teeth. Folsom issued a hiss.

"Get your own, fleabag mutt." Folsom spat in his no-longer silken voice, which had changed to a low growl. Fenrir narrowed his eyes.

"Full moon's not for another week." Fenrir snapped. "Besides, there's nothing quite like drinking blood from the cup… no hair or flesh gets in the way."

I couldn't help my mouth from dropping open in a rush of disgust and horror. Blood? That was what was in the cup that Folsom was drinking?!

"Enough!" Orion exclaimed. "You're making my son sick!"

"You've got a werewolf under your roof, what did you expect, Orion?" Folsom retorted hotly. "I could have brought him a snack, that ignorant Ravenclaw whore. I would have ripped out her tongue by now if Dumbledore wasn't poking his gigantic nose around everywhere…"

I felt sicker with each passing second.

"I know her." Fenrir growled, and now I couldn't look away from him; I could only gape at him.

"How so?" Folsom said with a look of disgust on his face. "Has she been wandering in the woods with her freaky little friends of hers? Those Gryffindor boys?"

Fenrir gave a cold laugh. "She hangs around with that lot, yeah. Sirius and Potter gave her quite a run at first. I was hunting for fresh prey not too long ago… she went off on her own in her first year last fall. Dumb little bitch. She almost got pulled in by mermaids. I was going to dive in after her and salvage my waterlogged snack, but then my prodigee intervened."

Folsom's look of disgust instantly evaporated. Now, he looked smug. "Little Remus Lupin? Lyall and Hope's boy?"

"The very same." Fenrir sneered. "He was just a little pup when he was five, but now, he's grown. Dumbledore's let him come to school, and even though I'm sure he's put in safety precautions, it's just a matter of time before he bites someone and carries on my work."

"Attacking a child…" Orion muttered, looking slightly disturbed.

"Get them while they're young." Fenrir advised. "Like the Dark Lord says. Convert them and have them rise up as a new generation to turn the tides. My pack has already doubled in size. Most of them are pups. For now. It's all multiplication from here on out. It's just a matter of time. A mathematical certainty."

"I didn't know wolves could do math." Folsom jeered. "Or see colors, or realize the depth of their own stink."

Fenrir leapt to his feet; Folsom remained sitting, watching him with a cold and calculated expression that only a killer could have, a sociopath with no remorse or regret.

"How about I rip out your pretty little throat right now, and we'll see what color it'll be." Fenrir snarled.

"Do me a favor." Folsom said casually. "Hunt down that Harkstone girl and eat her instead."

Fenrir rolled his eyes. "I'll let little Remus Lupin have her as his first snack. I've got bigger fish to fry. Like you."

"Now, boys." Orion said, rising to his feet, wand out. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to take this outside, or leave."

Folsom and Greyback stared at each other for a very long moment. I could feel the tension in the air, crackling like lightning. My heart galloped against my ribcage; my hands were like ice. If they dueled, it would be to kill.

"Run along now, Regulus." Folsom said in a quiet, calm voice, his eyes never wavering from Greyback's. "The adults have some things we need to discuss."

"Y-yes sir," I gasped. Orion gave me a cursory nod and approached the two slowly, and a second later a shield exploded between them. Sirius grabbed my arm while the three all drew out their wands and flung a fistful of green powder into the fire. "McGonagall's Fireplace!" I gasped, and took one last look at the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place. Greyback was swiping at Folsom, who dodged every blow effortlessly. Orion Black shouted another spell, and the green fire swept us back into McGonagall's office.

We stumbled out of the fireplace. Sirius tripped over the edge of the silken fabric and tumbled to the ground, exposed. We were alone.

"Amber?" Sirius said anxiously, his gray eyes wide and wary. "Are you alright?"

But I was standing stock-still, shaking hard, hardly noticing as the Polyjuice Potion finally wore off and I stood, a Ravenclaw girl in a Slytherin boy's robes, my dead sister's file stuffed in my pocket. I was remembering the night I had nearly drowned, the mermaids, the hospital wing, and then reading about Charms and Magical Creatures in my room. There had been that smell of wet dog, sweat, and blood.

It had been the exact same smell coming from Fenrir Greyback just a moment ago in the kitchen.

Greyback wasn't lying. He had been preparing to hunt me down, and he had only backed off because he wanted Remus to be the one to finish the kill.

"Come on." Sirius urged, but his voice sounded far away, like it was down a tunnel. He tugged on my wrist, hard. "Come on, Harkstone, we've got to go. They're waiting for us. We've got to tell them everything."

But I was in a fog; saturated by the information that I had just heard. I numbly followed Sirius down the hall, every step reverberating in my bones.

Folsom was drinking blood. At Sirius's house. He was on first-name terms with his dad. A werewolf – the same monster who had attacked Remus as a five year old child, hardly older than Naomi – was under his roof at the table. They were all supporting the Dark Lord and talking about Dark Marks and Death Eaters and blood statuses…

"I think I'm going to throw up." I said faintly to Sirius as we reached the bottom level of the castle and stepped out onto green grass.

"Go on, if you need to." Sirius said quickly, glancing around nervously. "But be quick because we need to tell the guys what's just happened."

Nodding slowly, I staggered over to the edge of a stone pillar and retched. The overpowering stench of sweat, blood and dirt lingered in my nostrils, and I vomited again, so hard that tears ran down my cheeks and my nose burned.

When it was over, Sirius handed me a napkin that he conjured out of the air. I wiped my mouth and blew my aching nose and dropped it on the ground next to the pool of sick. "Incendio." I said in a quavering voice, and walked away with Sirius as the napkin burst into flames.

We walked back down the lake, which was nearly deserted as most students were in class right now. Sirius sat down and then got back up, pacing, chewing his lower lip. I kicked off my shoes and waded up to my knees in the warm lake water, staring at the huge ridges of the mountains, wand out in one hand, ready to defend myself against any mermaids who might come back to try to finish their work from last year.

Greyback had hunted me. He had followed me to the lake and then stalked me into my dorm room. He had backed off so that Remus could kill me or infect me himself.

I tried to process what I had just witnessed, but my mind rejected it. I felt nothing, only cold shock as I tried to fight the reality the truth and justify it with lies.

Maybe they were Imperiused… maybe I imagined the whole thing… maybe I'm still dreaming…

I pinched my arm, hard, and winced with pain. I was definitely awake. Unfortunately, that meant I was truly in the throes of dealing with this knowledge and information on the Dark Lord's followers.

Footsteps thundered towards us, but I didn't bother turning around to face them. I knew it was the other Marauders. What was the point of giving them my version of events? Sirius had seen the whole thing. And maybe he had known that these kinds of people – creatures – were in his very house.

"Did you get it?" James panted.

There was a crinkling sound of paper being produced. "Right here. Mackenzie Folsom's file."

"How did it go?" Remus pressed. "Any trouble?"
"Not really." Sirius said genially. "A few close calls though. We ran into You-Know-Who himself."

There was a collective gasp from the three boys. "You mean you saw…"

"Not Voldemort." Sirius scoffed. "Honestly… no, we ran into Folsom. He was at my house, having lunch with my dad and he invited Regulus, er, Amber, to join him."

"Amber?" Remus said in a strangled voice. "She's alright? Has she been hexed or jinxed?"

"Ask her yourself." Sirius said indifferently, and even though his tone would have normally grated on my raw nerves, I now found myself completely uncaring and immune. What did it matter, in the face of what I had just heard? Folsom really did want me dead… and so did his friend Fenrir. My life was just a gamble, a hunt, to them.

I saw Remus approach me in my peripheral vision. "Amber?" He said softly. "Can you tell me what happened? Are you alright?"

I blinked slowly, suddenly imagining the horrible scene that must have unfolded in little five-year-old Remus's bedroom. A huge, ugly werewolf breaking into his room through the window, climbing in and attacking him, just to get back at his father…

"Amber." Remus shook my arm gently. "Look at me. Come on. You're alright."

I turned slightly and gazed into his face. I could see the long pink and silver scars running down his cheek in a cruel slash-mark, subtle yet still there, for the rest of his life, his entire existence marred by a single act of violence. I could feel my lip trembling, and I knew tears weren't far behind.

"Guys, can you give us a moment?" Remus asked, turning to face James, Sirius, and Peter. "Go and look at the file on Folsom. I need to ask Amber a few things."

"Sure thing, mate." Sirius said, turning to leave.

"Don't kiss too much." James teased, but Sirius tugged him away, Peter tagging closely behind. I watched them through my watery haze of tears as they chose a sprawling beech tree a hundred feet away and spread open the file.

"It's okay, you know." Remus said quietly. "To cry. Or vomit. Whatever you need to do."

"I already did." I whispered, my voice cracking. "I can't…"

"It's alright." Remus murmured, pulling me gently back to the shore and easing me down next to him. I drew my knees forward, leaned my head into my hands, and cried.

Remus inched closer so that he was pressing against me from one side, shoulders touching, legs aligned. He sat there, unmoving, a comforting, stable presence. When I had composed myself, I wiped my eyes with the backs of sleeves, only to have Remus hand me a tissue and smile wistfully.

"Feels just like the train ride here." I murmured, sounding like I had a head cold. I blew my nose and let Remus burn it to cinders.

"Tell me what happened." He said. "Whenever you're ready."

I took a deep breath and plunged into the recent memory. His eyes flickered and his brows drew together when I mentioned Greyback.

"And then there was this." I said, reaching into my pockets and drawing out Virginia's file. I stared at it, her picture smiling up at me.

"She's beautiful." Remus said after a moment. "She looks like you. She has the same features."

"She looks like Dad. She's got his coloring." I touched the photograph. "She would have been a Hufflepuff, I think."

Remus nodded. "She would be proud of you, Amber. I know she would."

Eyes clouding over with tears again, I blinked hard to banish them and I folded the file back into my pocket. "Sirius's dad had this in his drawer."

"I know. I think he's keeping tabs on a little more than he should." Remus looked over at the boys, who were watching us. "Do you think you're ready to face it?"

"I already have." I said heavily. "I just wish… I don't know. I almost wish I hadn't gone."

Remus patted my shoulder. "But it wouldn't have made it any less real. You had to find out, Amber. It's better this way."

I stared at him, unable to disguise my disgust. "Are you saying that I should be grateful I went through this? I could have died, Remus. I was an inch away from being found out. That Polyjuice Potion had five minutes or less on it, and Folsom was right there, and so was Greyback, and Sirius's dad sounds like he's one of the Dark Lord's most loyal followers and-"

Remus held up a hand for silence, but I plowed on, ignoring him.

"You wouldn't be saying this if you'd gone through it yourself." I said bitterly. "I can't forget what happened. I can't just use a Memory Charm on myself."

"You could, actually," Remus interjected.

"That's not the point. Don't you see? The Dark Lord, this Voldemort, is really trying to overpower the Ministry! He wants to overtake the wizarding world, our world, and bring it back to power over the Muggles! He wants to put them back in their place, and I don't think he'll stop there."

"No, I don't think so either." Remus said thoughtfully. "I think he'll go after everyone who isn't pure blood. Muggles, halfbloods, werewolves… I think he's going to cleanse the world of everyone but those he favors."

"So, you mean, he wants to completely take over the world, and then turn it on its head." I echoed hollowly. "He wants a revolution."

Remus was staring fixedly at the center of the rippling lake. "I think it's more than that. He's after something else. I don't think he wants world domination. That would be too easy."

"But he wants control over something."

"Hey! Lovebirds! Cool it down, we're coming back!" James shouted obnoxiously as he strolled back, Sirius and Peter in tow.

I rolled my eyes and sniffled, trying to remove any traces of my tears. A muscle jerked in Remus's cheek.

"I hope I haven't interrupted anything." James said cheerfully as he plopped down beside Remus.

"Of course not." I said dryly. "What do you want, James?"

"Sirius has just filled me and Peter in on what happened." James said, his eyes gleaming. "Blimey, I wish I could have been there. You actually saw Greyback and Folsom?"

"And had lunch with them." I added darkly.

"She handled it well." Sirius threw in, looking impressed. "But the eye goggling and the mouth hanging open probably didn't help."

"I couldn't help it!" I snapped. "I didn't exactly have an extra Invisibility Cloak to cover myself with!"

"Guys," Remus said warningly, giving Sirius and James heavy looks. "Leave her alone. She's been through a lot today."

"Yeah, but she did it." James said gleefully, waving the file in his hands. "She got the file on Folsom. But I think that what you two heard in Sirius's kitchen was just as good. He was drinking blood, you think?"

"I still think he's a sick piece of work." I muttered darkly, folding my arms around my knees and staring out across the lake. "Even if he's not a vampire."

"There's a lot of scum that pass through our house, I guess." Sirius admitted. "Come on, James, let's read it."

James looked delighted, as if he had just been presented the House Cup. He held it aloft, grinning, adjusting his glasses for good measure. "Here's what it says: M. Folsom. But we already know his name, so that's not important."

"Enough commentary." I hissed. "Get on with what's in there."

James rolled his eyes. "So pleasant." He cleared his throat. "Blood Status: Pure blood. Status of Family: No wife or living children. Family deceased. Close friend of Tom Riddle during his years at Hogwarts. Supportive of Voldemort's ideals. Currently Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. Security Risk: High. Other Information: Skilled Legilimens. Born 5 February 1926. Died 11 October 1951…"

James let his voice drop off. Peter was staring at him with huge blue eyes. I could feel my heart beginning to race again.

"Did you say, 'died'?" I said slowly.

James blinked. "Yeah… that's all it says. I swear." He turned the file around, showing us.

"Bloody hell." Sirius murmured, taking it from James's hands. "Maybe… maybe he is a vampire."

I jumped to my feet, my blood pounding so furiously through my veins that all I could see was a shaky haze of rage and hopelessness. I wanted to scream, to pull my hair out, to grab something huge and throw it into the lake. So instead I dragged a hand through my long hair and bit down so hard on my teeth that I could hear them creaking in protest.

"Amber?" Remus said in alarm.

"I knew it." I whispered tightly, my voice so thin it could snap. "I knew he was a vampire. This whole time… it all makes sense. He must have been turned when he was young. That's why he looks so youthful. He was only twenty five or so. And he was drinking blood! Fenrir wanted some, that's why he got so agitated. He's never in the sunlight, and he can read minds."

My head was spinning too fast; I shut my eyes and pressed a hand hard to my forehead.

"Even if he is vampire, do you really think Dumbledore would have allowed him to teach?" James said uncertainly. "Even Dumbledore isn't that daft."

"He let Voldemort learn at this school, didn't he?" I challenged. "He must have come here, and I bet he was in Slytherin. And I also bet that if he would let a werewolf come here as a student, he'd let a vampire teach."

Remus looked very pale, and very angry.

"How… how dare you." He stammered. "I… I'm not a monster. I'd never attack anyone!"

"You might not mean to." I said bitterly, not caring anymore about how my words might sound to him. I had been right, this whole year, and no one had listened or believed me. And here was the proof.

"Easy, Harkstone." James said lowly, Remus's face set in a hard lines. "Low blows aren't cool."

"I've been right this whole time." I lamented. "And he's been singling me out, threatening me, and now he says he wants me dead. And there's nothing we can do about it." I glared down at the file. "This was all for nothing."

Sirius looked up at me steadily, his steel gray eyes surprisingly clear. "Amber."

"What?" I snapped. "And don't call me that. It's Harkstone."

"Right." Sirius said calmly. "D'you have a flask for me?"

The question caught me so off-guard that I could only stare at him, gaping. "I… You… What?"

"A flask." Sirius said simply. "A vial. D'you have one I could borrow?"

I stared at him, struck dumb. I had lost the power of speech.

Remus raised his wand and murmured a spell. A small vial appeared out of thin air, and he reached out and snatched it. He handed it wordlessly to Sirius, while steadfastly refusing to meet my gaze.

Sirius held his own wand to his temple and closed his eyes, grimacing. He pulled his wand away from him and I watched in amazement as a string of silver appeared. Sirius drew his wand to the tip of the vial and I watched as the silver liquid pooled gently inside. He corked it and held it up to me.

I watched him suspiciously. "What was that?"

"It's a memory." Sirius said proudly. "A very recent memory."

"How did you…" I trailed off. In a house like his, it was no wonder he had access to learning spells, advanced and complex ones, that would enable him to siphon his own memories out of his mind. He had been the one to perform the Unbreakable Vow last spring with James. This new spell itself was hardly a surprise.

"Why did you take it out?" I said, incredulous. "What good will that do?"

Sirius looked infuriatingly smug. "Because… we're going to show it to Dumbledore."